Being the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston has traffic issues. The city is very spread out and has a somewhat limited public transporatation system. The vast majority of Houston's residents commute by automobile, and only a small percentage carpool. This leads to rush hour congestion on most of the major freeways. Recent years have seen numerous freeway expansion projects, which have provided some temporary relief, but the construction never seems to keep pace with the city's expansion.

Most major freeways now have High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and there are several commuter rail lines approved for construction in the next few years. Metro has various Park and Ride areas around the city, and some commuters use these locations to pick up carpoolers so the drivers may use the HOV lanes.

Many of Houston's highways and freeways have alternatate names that can be confusing to newcomers. Here is a list of most major Houston roads, and their nicknames: